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The Experiment

Play trailer Poster for The Experiment R Released Sep 20, 2002 1h 56m Mystery & Thriller Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
72% Tomatometer 65 Reviews 88% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings
As part of a psychological research project, twenty recruits will be divided up into prisoners and guards. In a controlled penitentiary-like environment, "prisoners" are incarcerated and ordered to obey the rules, "guards" are instructed to keep order. They will be thrown head-first into a two-week long examination of the effects of assigned roles, power and control, and won't be the same when it's over. But it's just a simulation. Or is it?
The Experiment

What to Know

Critics Consensus

Das Experiment's knotty plot may not prove as revelatory as it promises, but it succeeds as an action film with a lot on its addled mind.

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Critics Reviews

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Empire Magazine Rated: 5/5 Dec 30, 2006 Full Review Newsday Rated: 2.5/4 May 28, 2003 Full Review Marc Savlov Austin Chronicle Rated: 3/5 Dec 8, 2002 Full Review Felix Vasquez Jr. Cinema Crazed Never has there been such a chilling portrait of the human psyche. May 7, 2009 Full Review Michelle Thomas Future Movies UK Rated: 8/10 Apr 1, 2006 Full Review Johnny Butane Dread Central Go in expecting whatever you want, chances are you're going to get something that much better. Rated: 4/5 Feb 1, 2006 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Audience Member In fact, I expected a little more from this film. A film in the bowels of a research laboratory made according to a real event, where the whole experiment gets out of control, is certainly a tempting topic. Unfortunately, the content of the film is no longer like that. The whole film came to me a bit sloppy, but it certainly didn't bore me. I like movies from the prison environment, but probably because it was de facto just a game, as some actors in the film said, it didn't bother me that much, but I still think that you will find this film for your fans. I definitely rate this film positively, even though I expected more from it Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/21/23 Full Review Audience Member Worst movie .. no logic.. Rated 1 out of 5 stars 02/02/23 Full Review Audience Member Hitaan alun jälkeen ote tiukkenee loppua kohden. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/12/23 Full Review Audience Member Out of the fucking box, madness in its uncontrolled wilderness. Watching this makes me wanna tear faces apart. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/27/23 Full Review Audience Member daj mu na covek mokj, i ke vidis sto gomno e... Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/30/23 Full Review Audience Member Einfach Wunderbar, anspannend, verrückt ! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/07/23 Full Review Read all reviews
The Experiment

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Cast & Crew

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Oliver Hirschbiegel

Director

Moritz Bleibtreu

Tarek Fahd

Maren Eggert

Dora

Christian Berkel

Steinhoff

Justus von Dohnányi

Berus - Strafvollzugsbeamter

Oliver Stokowski

Schütte

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Movie Info

Synopsis As part of a psychological research project, twenty recruits will be divided up into prisoners and guards. In a controlled penitentiary-like environment, "prisoners" are incarcerated and ordered to obey the rules, "guards" are instructed to keep order. They will be thrown head-first into a two-week long examination of the effects of assigned roles, power and control, and won't be the same when it's over. But it's just a simulation. Or is it?
Director
Oliver Hirschbiegel
Producer
Norbert Preuss, Marc Conrad, Fritz Wildfeuer
Screenwriter
Mario Giordano, Mario Giordano, Don Bohlinger, Christoph Darnstädt
Distributor
Manga Films S.L., Samuel Goldwyn Company, IDP Distribution, Central Partnership, Senator Film, GAGA Communications [jp], Sherlock Media S.L., Nexo, Argentina Video Home, Metropolitan Filmexport [fr]
Production Co
Senator Film Produktion GmbH, Fanes Film, Typhoon Film AG, Seven Pictures
Rating
R (Language|Disturbing Situations|Nudity|Sexuality|Strong Violence)
Genre
Mystery & Thriller, Drama
Original Language
German
Release Date (Theaters)
Sep 20, 2002, Original
Box Office (Gross USA)
$141.1K
Runtime
1h 56m
Sound Mix
Surround, Dolby SR, Dolby Digital, Dolby A, Dolby Stereo
Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.85:1)